Freight-handling apparatus



Jan. 24, 1928.

1,657,076 B. F. FITCH FREIGHT HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 22. 1924 6Sheets-Sheet l @mwen/vio@ Jan. 24, 1928. 1,657,076

B. F.`F|TcH FREIGHT HANDLING APPARATUS Filed not. 22. 1924 ssheets-sheet 2 o 25 L L l5 2.. 5 5! l lo I @wom/Vio@ :F- l El' 4 Il M rJan. 24, 1928.

B. F. FITCH FREIGHT HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Ocnf.r 22, 1924 6Sheets-Sheet 5 7. dn m F Jan. 24, 1928. 1,657,076

B. F. FITCH FREIGHT HANDLING APPARATUS Filed oct, 22. 1924 ssheets-sneet 4 Fler IO Jan. 24, 1928. 1,657,076

B. F. FITCH FREIGHT HANDLNG APPARATUS Filed 0G16 22. 1924 6 Sheets-Sheet5 Ila Ha Jan. 24, 1928. 1,657,076

B. F. FITCH FREIGHT HANDiL-I NG APPARATUS Filed Ocf..= 22. 1924 6Sheets-Sheetl 6 al of l0.' 310Mo:

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@Hoz nur Patented dan.. 24, 1928.

urrno srArEs BENJAMIN F. FITCH, 0F GREENWICH, CNNECTIGUT.

FREIGHT-HANDLING APPARATUS.

Application led ctober 22, 1924. Serial No. 745,076.

This invention relates to apparatus for handling freight which is loadedinto containers and is'adapted to be transported either by automobiletruck,'or by freight car. The use of removable automobile bodies ascontainers for package freight delivered as a unit to or from a storedoor has many advantages, but in many instances there is not suliicientfreight either "at the point of origin', or of delivery to theconsignee, to till an entire truck body, nor is there proper craneequipment for raising such body.

@ne of the objectsI of the present invention therefore is the provisionof means for permitting the transfer of small containers to a truckframe Without requiring the usev of overhead hoisting and transportingequipment either at the point of origin or delivery. ln this connection,however, my invention contemplates an arrangement` for enabling suchsmall containers to be readily handled and transported in groups as aunit at transfer stations which are equipped with over- `head hoistingand transporting mechanism,

with a resulting saving of time.

ln accomplishing the above object, l provide a skeleton tray adapt/ed toreceive and support a plurality of sectional containers.

the tray having means for attachment of lifting mechanism, so that thetray and containers may be lifted asa nnit. The enternal dimensions ofsuch a tray with a set of containers thereon corresponds to the efr--ternal dimensions of a standard single con` tainer 'so that the sainepositioning means of an automobile truck or one railway car may holdeither the standard single container or the tray with a plurality ofcontainers. This is also a feature of my invention.

l preferred arrangement for carrying out my invention is illustrated inthe drawings, wherein Fig. l is a side elevation of a motor vehiclehaving sectional containers mounted on a tray thereon and showing anoverhead hoisting mechanism in position for 4raising the tray `with itsgroup of contain-ers as a nnit from the truck. libri. 2 is an Aendelevation of the tray suspended by hoisting means; 3 is side eievationof the tray having; containers thereongI Figs. Il and 5i are sectionsitalien on the lines Ll-s and 5-5 respectively in Fig. il; Fig. ti is aplan view of the tray with the containers removed therefrom; Fig. Y is aside elevation shoning part of a pair of idle opposite gates andillustrating a detachable connection there between; Fig. 8 is a planview of a frame employed for maintaining the cables in proper spacedrelationship; Fig. 9 is a side elevation partly in section and on alarger scale showing one form of yieldable connection between'the loadengaging member and the supporting cable therefor; Fig. 10 is an endView of the tray on a motor vehicle With one of the tray gates loweredto provide a ramp for a container which is being transferred between thetruck and platform; Fig. ll is a side elevation of a freight car showingcontainers grouped thereon for transportation purposes; eight sectionalcontainers being shown in groups of four on tvvo trays; Fig. l2 is asimilar side elevation showing one standard container on a flat car andone tray carrying tivo containers, each of twice the width of thecontainers shown in Fig. ll; Fig. 13 is a side" elevation of a truckequipped with positioning' means for holding either a single full-sizedcontainer or a tray with sectional containers thereon; Fig. is is adiagram illustrating the interchangeability on a car or truclr cfa fullsized container or a tray adapted to receive tvvo approximately one-halfsized containers or a larger number of smaller sized containers.

lily invention is lshovvn in connection with a tray l0 which is arrangedto support a plurality of containers 'll and to be posin `Vtioned upon atruck9 indicated at l2. The

tray may comprise a rectangular frame having longitudinal members i3which are conat the ends by transverse members 'li and intermediately bvreinforcing beams l5. The longitudinal and transverse members as Well asthe reinforcing beams are preferably lll-beams "which may be securedtogether in any convenient or conventional manner., 'Resting on thelongitudinal beams and errtending transversely of 'the tray, provide aplurality of oracles/aye accordance with the number of containers to becarried "by 'the tray.,

i ray as shown in the drawings is intended supporting eitlier fourapproximately onarter sized containers or tvv/o p proiiirnately one-halfsized containers? and ll have accordingly equipped each with four pairstraclrs indicated at ld? all of 'which are utilised when foar containersare the tray, While intermediate ones are idle the tray carries only twocontainers. treclr preferably channel-shaped titl' lil@ the preferredform each gate comprises channel-shaped members` which are connected bymembers 21, 22 and 23 for maintaining the members 2O in 'adjustedposition. As shown in Fig. 5, each gate is pivotally connected as at 25,to thetrack members on the tray. This pivotal connection is such thatwheneverv a tray is moved downwardly then the members 20, are disposedin alignment with the members 16. -If a truck, for example as shown inFig. 10, is disposed adjacent the platform 30, then a container havingwheels 31 thereon may be readily transferred between the platform andthe truck, since the gate then functions as a ramp along which thecontainer can` be rolled. l

To enable the containers to be readily rolled off or onto a loweredgate, without being in strict alignment therewith, I prefer to iare theside walls of the channel trackJ ways at their extreme ends as shownparticularly at 27, in Fig. 3.

' To prevent outward movement of any of the gates when a truck isloaded, I provide means for locking the gate in upright position. Oneform of means for accomplish- 'ing this is shown in'Fig. 4 wherein a bar32 extends from the gate on one side of the container to the gate on theopposite side thereof. A nut 33 may then engage the member 32 to clampthe gates together.

This clamping device also provides con' venient means for sealing thecontainers. If the containers have their doors 17 in their ends, theupstanding gates`20 will overlie these doors and prevent opening them solong as the gates are held in this position. By passing the wire of theusual car seal 34, Fig. 4, through an opening in the end portion of thetie rod 32, the `lowering of the gate cannot be effected withoutdestroying the seal, and thus the containers are maintained sealed inthe same manner as that employed for box cars.

Frequent y the gate on only one side is to be lowered for permittingremoval or installation of a container, and accordingly means areprovided to prevent the gate on the o posits side of the container fromfalling ownwardly.4 I have shown for'this purpose a. cable v35 whichextends longitudinally ofthe tray on each side thereof for en aging theouter side of the gates. The ca les may be detachably anchored in anyconvenient manner to posts 36 which may be lowered without danger of thegate on the opposite side falling outwardly. More over the gate oneither side may be lowered to the exclusion of the gate on the otherside.

To prevent the gates from movin about their pivotal connection, whenevert 1ey are not being employed for holding a container upon the truck, Ihave illustrated the fianges of the members 20 as havingI a relief 37and the flanges of the member 16 as having a relief38. This ermits agate to be swung inwardl over t e truck as shown by the broken lines 20ain Fig. 1G. In such position, the tops of the oppositelv disposed 'gatesmay engage each other and be locked together in any convenient manner.For example in Fig. 7 I have shown a latch t0 which is pivotally mountedat 41 o n one gate and is adapted to engage a pro]ect1on 42 on anopposing gate.

To permlt a number of containers to be raised as a group or unit, I haveshown the longitudinal members of the frame as havin brackets 45 ri idlysecured to the outer si e thereof. Eac bracket may support a member 46.As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the members 46 lie outside the containers.

wherefore they may be engaged by hoisting cables 48 which depend from anoverhea traveling crane indicated in general at 50. The brackets asillustrated in Fig. 6 are in alignment with the reinforcing means 15, inorder to transmit lifting stresses directly through the reinforcingmeans.

To maintain the cables in proper spaced ielationship, I have illustrated1n Figs. 1, 2 and 8, a cradle, having longitudinal members 60 andtransverse `members 61 which are arranged to be disposed between thecables and to be rigidly attached thereto. For this purpose I may employclamps 62 which function to lock the cables to the cradle at a pointabove the to of the containers. Thus the cables may be owered with thecradle until the ends thereof are in position to permit engagement withthe members 46 on the tray. The cradle is therefore free from loadstresses and is adapted only to facilitate the engagement of the cableswith the tray.

To lpermit ,the individual cables to be ybrought. into engagement withthe tray in an expeditious manner, I have shown a yieldable connectionin Fig. 9` between the cable and the load engaging hook 65. Thisconnection may comprise a yoke 56 carried by the cable, which yoke hasan o ening 67 throu h which the shank 68 ofthe ook may lili lill

inerme as shown has a recess 71 while a light spring 72 surrounds theshank and has one end thereof engaging the collar within the recess, andhas the other end thereof engaging the yoke. The `spring 72 functionstolurge the hook toward ,the cable. rIhis characteristic is utilized foryholding the hook in engagement ywith a member 46. To effect sucengagement the cables are lowered until the point y73 of the hook isapproximately in a horizontal plane with the top of the member 46..Thereupon the hook may he manually lowered by compressing the springuntil thel hook is brought below the member 46whereupon itis 'forcedinwardly and released. As

`soon as the cables are raised after the tray is engaged, then thespring 72 is compressed until it enters the recess 71, whereupon' thelower face 7 3 of the collar engages the yoke so as to transmit lifting-stresses directly `:from the cables to the hookwithout placing In Fig11, I have shown the adaptability for my invention to railway cars .fortransortation purposes, wherein a railway car indicated at 80 may haveabutments 81 for guiding a tray and maintaining it in proper positionwith reference to the car. The transfer from a truck to a railway carmay therefore be accomplished by lifting a loaded tray as a unit.

Fig. 11 shows two trays, each with four containers, on a ilat car, whileFig. 12 shows ya similar hat car 80 having thesame abutments 81 carryingone full sized standard 'contain r 90 resting directly on lthe carwithout a tray and two approximately onehalf sized containers 11*carried on a tray 10 which is mounted on the other half of the car.Comparison of these two figures illustrates the adaptability of mysystem. This l. `is further illustrated by Fig. 13 which shows at 100 atruck equipped with suitable corner pockets 10i adapted to receiveeither the standard container 90 or the tray 1U with its `sectionalcontainers.

, The interchangeability resulting my system is yfurther illustra-ted inthe diagram 14, wherein the full sized standard container 90 havinghorizontal dimenions a and b is shown as mounted in the corner pockets8l and 101 of a car or truck. Directly below this on the sheet isillustrated a tra 10 mounted in the same corner pockets and avingexternal dimensions a and b' which are vthe same as the'dimensions a andt of the standard container. Below this tray, I have villustrated twoone-halt sized containers 11?,

reach of *which has a width a corresponda to the internal width c of thetray 10, an

a length d vcorres ending to one-half the internal length d o the tray.t 'the bottom of the diagram is illustrated four quartersized containers11 having the same width as c' and having a length dY which isBubstantially vone-half the container length d and substantiallyone-quarter the length d of the tray.v In practice, these relativedimensions ot the sectional containers are made somewhat scant so as toallow ready fitting adjacent each other on the tray as will be wellunderstood.

YBy my invention, the trucks andcars may be equipped for carrying fullsized containers, which are desirable where large loads are shipped`from one point of origin to the the same destination. At the same time,by means of my tray and sectional containers, the same truck and carequipment may be 4used for store-door loading or delive or where theloads to a given point woul not fill a full sized container. While Ihave illustrated the tray as carryin as many as four containers, it isto be un erstood that the size of containers may be materiall decreasedand their number correspondingly increased.

I have shown the containers equipped with wheels on fixed axis enablingthem to be readily rolled on or oi'f the tray, but the containers mayhave caster wheels if desired for enabling more readily rolling onstataion platforms. The containers mayy be rolled on or cti-"the mountedtray by hand power,v with the assistance usually of a block and tackle,but any suitable mechanism may be employed for rolling them to or fromposition.

An advantage of my' invention as will be apparent from the foregoingdescription, is the fact that a motor truck may carry a various numberof containers upon-a tray, and that all of the containers may be raisedand transported as a unit from the truck at a central distributingpoint. Moreover it will be apparent that by' utilizing small containersin groups and by employing an individual ramp for each containerk that atruck may be readily loaded at a shipping point or unloaded at adischarginl point for store door delivery without requiring hoisting andtransporting mechanism.

By arranging the gates as heretofore de scribed, I provide adequatemeans for maintaining the containers in pro er position upon the truckand for sealing t em, and by emplo ing a yieldable connection betweenthe cible and the load engaging hook, I facilitate the engagementbetween the hoisting mechanism and the tray without requiring theservices of more than one man.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: l. A portable :trame havingthereon a plurality of transverse tracks adapted to receive lll) andhold wheeled containers, means on the trame for enabling it to be raisedand transported, spaced members hinged to the frame and extending abovethe top of the container, and means extending across the 'top of tframe.

2. A portable frame having traclrways thereon adapted to receive acontainer, a member pivotally mounted on the frame on each side of` thecontainer, said .members being adapted when in upright position toextend above the top of the container, and when in lowered position t0provide a ramp for enabling the container to be transported laterallywith reference to the frame, and means connecting the members above thetopbf the container tor holding it in position upon the frame.'

3. A. portable trame having f channel shaped members carried thereby andproviding a trackway thereon, said trackway being adapted to receive awheeled container, other channel shaped members hinged to the trame andadapted when in lowered position to provide a continuation of saidtrackways, said hinged members having such length that they extend abovethe container when in upright position, and separable means` extendingacross the top of the container and engaging the hinged members forlocking them together and holding the container in place upon the frame.

4. A portable frame havin a plurality ot transversely extending tracways thereon, each adapted to receive a container, members neuf/,ove

hinged to the frame and adapted when in one position to provide acontinuation of the trackways, and when in another position to extendalongside a container positioned on the trackway, and means associatedwith the frame for enabling the frame and containers thereon to beraised as a unit.

5. A- portable Jframe having a trackway extending transversely thereof',members hinged to the frame and adapted when in lowered position toalign with the trackway on the frame, whereby the members provide a rampalong which the container may be moved onto the trackway, means forlocking the members together when the container is positioned on thetracltway, and other means for locking the members together when thecontainer is removed from the frame.

6.. A portable frame having members hinged thereto on opposite sidesthereof, said members being adapted .to be swung upwardly and downwardlyand to rovide a ramp along which a container may e moved, said membersbeing also adapted to be swung inwardly along the frame when there is nocontainer thereon, and means connecting the members for locking themtogether when in the last mentioned position.

ln testimony whereof, I hereunto aiix my signature. i

BENJAMIN r. FITCH.

